The Orchard Team Huddle

I am one busy lady who is currently working two full time jobs. My day job consists of cleaning the house, paying the bills, doing the laundry, planning the meals,  cooking the meals, shopping for the necessities (and an occasional not-so-necessity), counting box tops, serving in the church, getting the kids to and from school, serving on a neighborhood pool committee, visiting the elderly, and manicuring the yard.  I have an assistant who gets to shadow my every move.  He is not so much interested in what I have to do each day but rather his own schedule.  He has decided his job is to climb on counters, press buttons on printers, sneak out the doggie door, dump well organized buckets of toys, jump on beds, pull chairs around to reach the high stuff, remove cushions from couches, smudge up mirrors, and search for treasures in every drawer.  My day job is a little tougher with my apprentice but he is my most important responsibility. At around 3:00 my evenin...

By Douglas Orchard What is the price for catching 70 fish averaging around five to six pounds? It looks like this. It might look warm but this is a twenty degree and dropping sunshiny day. As you can tell by the picture these are some big fish ranging this year from four pounds to eleven and a half. The reason I look forward to this trip and I think everyone present is not for the fish(although, Andrew and Matt do love to eat them). Other than them we don't keep the fish. It is the quality time that you get to go and "hang out with the boys." I could care less how many fish I catch. It is fun to just go out and spend some time with some really awesome men that I am related to that inspire me and want me to follow them and pursue my dreams. To go on a mission. To go to college. To get married in the temple. And then go on to be able to provide for my family. That is what is so cool about this trip. Sure it is fun to catch a ten pound fish. But in the end yo...

this little one will quit growing quite so quickly. I do love being able to communicate with him and sleep through the night but does he have to act so much older than he really is? I hope when I take his bee-bee ( binky ) away in a few months he will forgive me and not miss a beat. this sweet boy will see and appreciate the results of hard work. He will grow a few more inches and realize that trying out for American Idol is not such an unrealistic goal. this fine young man will not find his friends to be more enjoyable than his family. He will stay away from the girls(there is plenty of time for that) and he will find joy in choosing the right. He will continue to mature and grow into the amazing person he is becoming. Russell and I will find joy in the daily grind. We will have all three of our rental properties rented at the same time. The cars will run, houses will sell and our bodies will be strong. I will finally realize that my body is strong enough to be a runner. It is my will...